Elevating particle-form solids with bucket conveyer



Nov. 21, 1950 E. v. BERGsTRoM ELEVATING PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS WITH BUCKET CONVEYR Filed May 14, 1946 5 Sheets-SheecI 1 ELEVATING PARTIcLE-FORM soLIDs WITH BUCKET CoNvEYER E. V. BERGSTROM Nov.. 21, 195o 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 14, 1946 BY M a. (j.

AGENToR ATTORNEY me @Afommhf Nov. 2l, 1950 E. v. BERGsTRoM 2,531,192

FORM SOLIDS WITH BUCKET CONVEYER ELEVATING PARTICLE- Filed May 14, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheel 5 AGENTOR ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1950 E. v. BERGsTRoM ELEVATING PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS WITH BUCKET CONVEYER 5 sheets-sheet 4 Filed May 14, 1946 Wgr?, fa@

\NvENToR .5R/C BEHGJTROM Nov. 2l, 1950 E. v. BERGsTRoM 2,531,192

ELEVATING PARTICLE-FORM SOLIDS WITH BUCKET CONVEYER AGENTOR ATTORNE.

aented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED .STATES PATENT CFFICE ELEVATING IAiR'lItJALE-FQRill/I SLmS WITH BUCKET CONVEYER (Cl. 19o-52) l2 Claims.

This invention has to do with a method and apparatus for conversion of Vfluid hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving particle form solid contact material which may or may not be catalytic in nature. Exemplary of the hydrocarbon conversion which may be conducted by this method and apparatus are the catalytic aromatization, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, polymerization, isomerization, alkylation, dealkylation, reforming, hydroforming, treat-ing,` desulfurization and cracking of hydrocarbon fractions. Also exemplary are the viscosity breaking, cracking and coking of heavy liquid hydrocarbons inthe presence of a hot solid inert material. This invention is particularly concerned with processes wherein the contact material moves cyclically through a conversion zone wherein it flows as a substantially compact column of moving solid particles while being contacted at suitable elevated temperatures with uid hydrocarbons either in the gaseous or liquid phase or both to effec-t their conversion and then through a revivication zone wherein it flows as a substantially compact column while being contacted with a Suitable revivifying gas which in many instances may be air acti-ng to burn oi vfrom the contact material a carbonaceous Vcontaminant deposited thereon during the hydrocarbon conversion. When the contact material employed is catalytic in nature it may take the form of natural or treated clays such as fullers earth and Super Filtrol, bauxites, activated alumina, activated charcoal, inert carriers bearing deposits of catalytic metallic oxides, or synthetic associations of silica, alumina or silica andY alumina to which may be added small percentages of othermaterials such as certain suitable metallic oxides. When the contact material employed is Vnoncatalytic in nature, i. e.-, inert to the reaction, it may take any of a number of forms such as granules or balls of metallic Imaterial or refractory material such as Corhart material, mullite, Carborundum or Zircon fabas (a complex zirconium silicate); the material used preferably having a high thermal heat capacity and being highly resistant to breakage, cracking and abrasion. In any case, the particle size of the solid material employed should fall broadly within the range 2' to 100 mesh by Tyler Standard Screen Analysis and preferably Within the range of about 4 to 20 mesh.

One of the most important processes `for which this invention is adapted, is the cracking conversion of high boiling fluid hydrocarbons to lower boiling gaseous hydrocarbon products con- 2 taining gasoline and/or lower boiling hydrocarbon products in the presence of a hot particle form contact mass material. During this particular reaction, as is the case with many other hydrocarbon conversions, a carbonaceous contaminant is deposited upon the particle form solid. If the contact material is catalytic in nature, the contaminant deposit substantially reduces its catalytic activity. I'f the contact material is non-catalytic in nature, the contaminant deposit may gradually increase the particle size of the contact material to an undesirable degree while at the same time small particles of coky material having an undesirably small diameter tend to accumulate in the moving contact mass. In any event, it is usually desirable to elect the removal of the contaminant deposit from the contact material. This may best be accomplished in a revivication chamber separate from the conversion chamber. n the case of inert contact materials, the carbonaceous contaminant may in many cases tend to break on the contact material particles and be susceptible to removal from the mass by entrainment in a suitable gas passed through the mass. On the other hand, steam and/or air may be introduced into the hot contaminant bearing contact mass to cause the carbonaceous contaminant to undergo a producer or water gas reac-v tion. Other reactions are also available. In the case of catalysts, it has been found4 best to regenerate the catalyst by blowing an oxygen containing gas therethrough to burn on the contaminant, While withdrawing excess combustion heat from the mass in order to prevent the catalyst temperature from rising to a heat damaging level. Commercially, in order to permit a practical overall unit structural height, it has been found desirable to position the conversion and revivincation vessels side by side at substantially the same elevational level and to provide two contact material conveyors, one for con" veying used contact material from the conversion vessel to the revivication vessel and one for conveying reviviiied contact material from the revivication vessel back to the conversion vessel.

The instant invention broadly involves a method and apparatus in a continuous cyclic conversion process' whereby used contact material from the conversion vessel and revivified contact material from the reviviiication vessel may be passed into separate pocket compartments in the buckets of a single continuous bucket elevator to be conveyed upwardly to-l gether in the single elevator casing and to be separately discharged into passages feeding the revivication and conversion vessels. It has been found that this improved method and apparatus results in lower initial apparatus cost, lower maintenance and operational costs, a substantial decrease in undesirable heat loss from the contact material streams passing between vessels and an overall more compact cyclic conversion unit and better adapted to the requirements of the small renner than those known heretofore.

A major object of this invention is the provision in a cyclic process wherein contact material is passed cyclically through conversion and revivication zones of an improved method and apparatus for accomplishing the passage of contact material between said zones.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a practical, economical continuous catalytic hydrocarbon conversion system suitable to the requirements of small refiners.

Another object is the provision of an improved method and operation for the conversion of fluid hydrocarbons in the presence of a cyclically moving particle form solid contact material.

Another object is the provision of a method and apparatus for conveying particle form contact material between side by side separate hydrocarbon conversion and contact material re vivication zones which permits a substantial reduction in heat loss from the cyclically moving contact material stream as compared with that occurring in present cyclic conversion processes.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent in the following discussion of the invention. Before proceeding with this discussion several expressions used herein in describing and claiming this invention may be defined. The expression gaseous as used herein is intended broadly as meaning that the material involved exists in the gaseous phase under the particular operation conditions of temperature and pressure involved regardless of what may be the normal phase of that material under ordinary atmospheric conditions. The expressions revivii-ler or revivification vessel are intended to broadly cover a vessel in which used contact material from a conversion vessel may be made suitable for reuse in said conversion vessel regardless of the exact nature of the reaction occurring in the revivification vessel or regardless of whether or not any chemical reaction occurs therein at all. The term revivifying gas is employed in a similarly broad sense as meaning any gas which is suitable for restoring the contact material to a condition for practical reuse in the conversion zone. The expressions heat damaging level or heat damaging temperature are intended to mean a temperature or a tem` perature level which would cause substantial permanent impairment of that property or of thosel properties which render the particular contact material employed useful for the particular hydrocarbon conversion involved. The expression uid is intended to mean material either in the liquid or gaseous phase or in mixed phase. The expression contact material is intended to broadly cover solid materials which are suitable for use in the particular conversion process involved regardless of whether or not said solid materials are catalytic in nature.

`The invention may be best understood by reference to the drawings attached hereto of which Figure 1 is an elevational view showing a cyclic conversion process arranged according to the teachings of this invention. Figure 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing an assembly view of the elevator portion of the apparatus combination shown in Figure l. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is an isometric view showing the upper section of the elevator casing of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a sectional "view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2, Figure 6 is a sectional view of a bucket used in the elevator shown in Figure 2. Figure 7 is a side view of the bucket taken along line 1-1 of Figure 6, Figure 8 is a sectional View of the bucket taken along line 8 8 in Figure 6. Figure 9 is an isometric view of the same bucket, Figure 10 is a detailed view showing elevator chain construction and details of bucket attachment thereto. Figure 11 is an isometric View of a modified bucket construction and Figure 12 is a detailed view showing the attachment of the bucket shown in Figure 11 to an elevator chain. All of these drawings are highly diagrammatic in form.

Turning now to Figure 1, we nd a conversion vessel 2D, a revivication vessel 2| and a single dual conveyor or elevator 22. The conversion vessel may be of any suitable cross-sectional shape, preferably circular and should be adapted to permit contact of a fluid reactant therein with a particle form contact material moving therein as a substantially compact column. Fluid hydrocarbon charge may be pumped by pump 23 through heater 24 which may be of suitable conventional construction adapted to merely heat or to heat and vaporize the hydrocarbon charge to the desired convertor inlet conditions. The prepared charge passes into the conversion vessel through inlet conduit 25. An outlet 26 is provided near the lower end of the conversion vessel for withdrawal of gaseous hydrocarbon products. The products are passed to a suitable product purication and recovery system 21 which may be of conventional type. Suitable gas-solid disengaging means should be provided within the vessel in communication with outlet 26. Above the vessel 2li is provided a Contact material feed or surge hopper 28 from which contact material may be supplied to the conversion Vessel through a feed leg 29. The feed leg should be of .sufficient vertical height to insure continuous contact material ilow into the conversion vessel against the gaseous pressure therein. A drain conduit 30 is provided at the bottom of vessel 20 for contact material withdrawal. rIhe drain conduit connects into a depressuring chamber 3i wherein the gaseous pressure on the contact material may be released, the gas leaving through outlet 32. Suitable ow control means indicated by the dotted lines 33-35 inclusive may be provided near the bottom of vessel 2G to permit withdrawal of contact material at a uniform rate from all portions of the chamber cross-sectional area thereabove. It will be understood that other suitable means and arrangements for contact material and reactant introduction and withdrawal to and from the conversion vessel other than that specifically described hereinabove are contemplated to be within the scope of this invention. The revivication vessel similarly may be provided with any of a number of suitable arrangements for contact material and gas introduction and Withdrawal. The arrangement shown is a preferred multi-stage kiln arrangement which has been found particularly useful for regeneration of catalysts. Air ls. admitted from inlet- 33: to Vver-- tical manifold 3i4. Afrom which `it passes .into the vessel 2.|.= at a'plurality of spaced levels through a plurality of inlets 35 bearing flow control valves 3l. Flue gas is withdrawn at a plurality of' intermediate levels through outlet pipes 36 which connect into` outlet duct 38. A suitable heat exchange medium entering through manifold t2 and spaced apart individual inlet pipes 4l may be passed through communicating heat transfer tubes (not shown) at a plurality of spaced levelsv in the vessel 2l. The heat exchange fluid may be withdrawn from the heat transfer tubes (not shown) through outlet pipes it into outlet manifold 39'. An-y of.A a number of heat exchange fluids may be employed such as water, steam, certain low melting point metallic alloys and certain mixtures of fused inorganic salts. The heat exchange duid is passed through the-'tubes under suchconditions as to control the catalyst at a temperature suliciently high toA permit rapid contaminant combustion but insufliciently high to cause heat damage to the catalyst. Contact material may be admitted to the upper end of the vessel 2l via conduits llt a and 44 and withdrawn therefrom through conduit l5 bearing ow control valve d. The elevator 22 which will be described in detail hereinafter is of the continuous bucket type, the buckets being divided into separate compartments by suitable partitioning. A partitioned inlet chute il is provided near the lower end of theA elevator, said chute having a plurality of separate feed lanes therein corresponding to the plurality of pockets in each bucket. A similarly partitioned outlet chute 43 is provided near the upper end of the elevator casing. In operation, used contact material from the conversion vessel may pass from the depressuring pot 3l through conduit 49- andy ow control valve 58 into conduits 55 and 5t into two outside feed lanes in chute 41 by which it is directed into certain of the pockets in the elevator buckets passing upwardly past the feed chute. Similarly, revivied contact material may pass through conduit i5 into the remainder of the feed lanes in chute il and thence into theremainder of the pockets in the elevator buckets. Revivied and used contact material is carried together in the separate pockets of Vthe elevar `conversion Zone and passage defining means Vfor flowA of regenerated contact material from the `remainder of said lanes in said discharge chute-to said conversion vessel or passage delning means for ow of regenerated contact material from the remainder of said lanes in said discharge chute to said inlet to said conversion vessel, employed in the claims are used in abroad sense as covering a feed duct connected directly from the elevator discharge `chuteto the top `of the conversion vessel or as covering a duct delivering contact materialto a feed hopper. thefeed# hopper and al duct ex- 2,531, rea

tending from the .feedhopper .to the conversion vessel. The same is true of language regarding delivery of contact. material from the elevator to the revivication vessel. In .Figure 1, a surge or feed hopper is incorporated in the upper section of the vessel 2l as indicated by the dotted lines 59 and 60.

The operating pressures in the conversion vessel, revivication vessel and elevator casing may vary depending upon the particular conversion operation involved. In the catalytic cracking conversion of. hydrocarbons it has been found convenient to operate the conversion vessel under pressures of. the4 order of 5 to 15 pounds per square inch gauge, and to operate the revivication vessel, elevator casing and convertor feed hopper at substantially atmospheric pressure or at a pressure only Vslightly above atmospheric, for example, 1/8 to l pound per square inch gauge. Thus, vents 6l, 62 and 63 are provided on the hopper 28, elevator casing 22 and a revivication vessel 2| respectively. In View of the above, it will become apparent that it is of considerable Vimportance that proper provision be provided to prevent the flow of gaseous hydrocarbons into the conveyor casing. This is accomplished by the provision of an inert gaseous seal between the conversion vessel 20 and the elevator casing 22. An inert gas such asv steam or flue gas may be introduced into the top of Vvessel 29 through conduit Sii ata rate controlled by dia.- phragm valve 65 operated by differential pressure control. mechanism 6tsuch as to maintain an inert gaseous pressure adjacent the upper end of vessel 2E) greater thanthe pressure of the hydrocarbon reactant in the conversion zone directly therebelow. Thus, the escape of gaseous hydrocarbons through the feed conduit 22 and hopper 2t to the .atmosphere or to the elevator casing is prevented. An inert purge gas such as steam or ue gas may be admitted through conduit (i8 into the lower section of the vessel 20 below the conversion rone to purge gaseous hydrocarbons from the outilowing used contact material and to prevent substantial escape of gaseous hydrocarbons through conduit 32; Some inert gas will pass downwardly through the contact material in conduit 36. In many operations. the amount of such inert gas may be sufficient to cause substantial contact materialspillage into the foot portion of the conveyor casing 22 and to interfere with the flow of used contact material into the proper bucket pockets. In such operations, this difficulty may be avoided by separating the inert gas from the contact material in the depressuring pot 3l which is operated under a pressure near that in the conveyor casing. While usually it has been found unnecessary in catalytic cracking operations, in some operations it. may be desirable also to substantially prevent the flow of revivication gas into the elevator casing. This may be accomplished by the introduction of a suitable inert seal gas into the upper and lower ends of vessel 2| through conduits 63 and l0, respectively. It is. usually desirable to maintain an inert gaseous atmosphere within the elevator casing 22. This may be accomplished by introduction of an inert gas such as steam or ue gas through conduitY 'H near the lower end of casing 22. The inert gas may be withdrawn through vent 62 or through vent 6| and/ or 63. A certain amount of undersized materialtends to accumulate in the cyclically moving. contact material stream. Thesenes may be vremoved .by passage-o;- a; portionfof the: unregen,

ateniese erated Contact material stream through conduit 'I5 into an elutrator 1S through which it is rained countercurrently to an upwardly moving stream or ilue gas entering from ducl-l 38 through duct 11. Cleaned contact material passes from the bottom of elutriator through conduit to join the main contact material stream in the upper end of vessel 2 I. Fines entrained in ilue gas pass from the upr end of elutriator 16 through duct 19, which joins manifold duct 38 and connects into cyclone separator 80 through duct 8|. Flue gas is withdrawn from the separator at 82 and rines at 83.

Operation by the above method permits a substantial reduction in the total heat loss from the contact material passing between conversion and regeneration chambers over the heat loss occurring when two elevators are employed. This is of considerable importance in operations wherein the heat stored in the contact material leaving the regenerator is used in part to supply heat i'or the hydrocarbon conversion and in operations wherein the used contact material exists at temperature levels not much above the minimum temperature required to initiate contaminant combustion in the regenerator. Moreover, inasmuch as a large part of the power consumption required for bucket elevator operation is used to overcome friction of the moving parts, the use of one instead of two elevators results in a substantial reduction in conveying cost as well as an obvious reduction in initial conveyor cost. lt has been further found that the arrangement described hereinabove permits a much more compact arrangement of the entire unit resulting in a decrease in the amount of ground area required. Due to these advantages the method and apparatus of this invention make possible the provision of a compact, economical, small capacity cyclic conversion process which is particularly well adapted for the requirements of small refineries.

Turning now to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, which may be best considered together for a more detailed study of the construction of the dual purpose conveyor, it will be seen that the casing is made up of a foot portion, a head portion and an intermediate portion. The casing may be made up in a single section but it is preferably made up of a plurality of flanged sections and generally at least of three sections, namely, a head section, an intermediate section and a foot section. Within the casing is provided an endless series of buckets 90 which preferably overlap to a limited extent substantially as shown in Figure 2. A head shaft 9| passes through the casing in the head portion and two spaced apart wheels 9'2 and 92' are provided on the head shaft, Continuous chains 93 and 93 are trained over the wheels 92 and 92' so as to form a loop in the head portion of the casing and a second loop in the foot portion. The chains may be guided by guides indicated by the dotted lines 94 attached along opposite sides of casing 22 and by means of the guide wheels 98 at the foot loop. In some constructions the wheels 98 may be omitted. The head shaft is driven by an externally located drive wheel S5 driven in turn through chain 96 by motor 91. The drive wheel is removed from shaft 9| in Figure 4 to permit a View of support bearings |00. A variable speed drive may be provided in many cases. rPhe buckets 90 may take any of a number of cross-sectional shape, a preferred shape being approximately that indicated in Figure 6. The buckets are attached on their opposite ends to the two chains 93 and 93 in such a manner as to open outwardly of their closed path of travel and in such a manner as to open outwardly and upwardly as they move upwardly adjacent that side of the casing 22 into which the feed chute 41 connects and as to be inverted as they move downwardly adjacent that side of the casing 22 into which the discharge chute 48 connects. The buckets are further so shaped and fastened to the chains 93 and 93 that in passing over the head loop or the wheels 92 and 92', each bucket discharges contact material onto one side of the inverted bucket moving immediately before said first named bucket and the side of the inverted bucket receiving the discharged solid is so sloped as to dlrect the contact material into the discharge chute 48. It will be noted that the discharge chute extends into the conveyor casing to such an extent that the chute opening is close to the edges of the buckets as they pass downwardly in their path. The arrangement is such that the contact material is poured from the buckets into the discharge chute rather than being thrown as is the case in centrifugal type bucket elevators, The construction described hereinabove permits discharge of contact material from the buckets into the discharge chute with very little spillage of contact material occurring. The feed chute 41 similarly extends a short distance into the casing 22 so as to terminate just opposite the edge of the open tops of the buckets so that contact material pours directly from chute 41 into the upwardly moving buckets 90 without substantial spillage of contact material into the foot section of the casing.

For a study of the bucket construction, Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 should be considered along with Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Each bucket is provided with partitioning to divide it into a plurality of separate side by side solid carrying pockets or compartments. A preferred construction is shown wherein each bucket is divided by partitions |0| and |02 into two small end pockets |03 and |04 and a larger pocket |05 therebetween having approximately the same capacity as the sum of the capacities of the two end pockets. A plurality of partitions |96 and |01 are provided in the feed chute 41 to divide it into three separate feed lanes |08, |09 and ||0 corresponding to and adapted to deliver solid into the three bucket pockets |03, |04 and |05 respectively. Similarly partitions and ||2 divide the discharge chute 48 into three separate discharge lanes ||3, ||=l and ||5 corresponding to bucket pockets |03, |04 and |05 respectively. Likewise varies H6, Hl, ||8 and ||9 are provided on the side of each bucket onto which contact material is discharged to provide three lanes for contact material flow corresponding to the three discharge lanes in discharge chute 48. It will be further noted that partitions |0| and |02 in the buckets 90 are dared as they approach the opening in the bucket in such a manner as to divert the contact material discharging from any of the pockets |03, |04 or |95 away from that discharging from an adjacent pocket and into the proper lane of flow on the side of the bucket moving immediately therebefore. Moreover, the vanes ||1 and I I8 on the solid receiving side of each bucket are also dared as they approach the edge of the bucket moving nearest the discharge chute 48 so as to divert the solid flow from the lanes on the inverted bucket sides into the proper corresponding discharge lanes in chute 48. Similarly. the

9 partitions I 06 and |01 in the feeding chute 41 are ared as they approach the discharge edge of the chute so as to divert the solid ow from each of the feed lanes |03, |09 and H0 into the corresponding pockets in thebuckets 90.

The preferred bucket construction and pocket arrangement and feed and discharge chute arrangement described hereinabove permits the introduction of contact material existing at the same temperature, into the two end pockets of the buckets which pockets are adjacent the two elevator chains. In the arrangement shown, used contact material is carried in the end pockets |03 and |04 and reviviiied contact material is carried only in the intermediate pocket |65. By this arrangement only contact material of the same temperature is adjacent the two elevator chains sov that the temperature of the chains will be maintained equal. It will be understood that if the arrangement were such that the contact material' fed to one end 0i the bucket were re- ,generated Contact material existing at 1050o F., orA examplawhile the contact material fed to 'the other end of the bucket were spent contact .material existing at 800 F., the two elevator chains would operate at dierent temperatures 'causing unequal chain expansion. This unequal chain expansion would result in serious mechanical diiiculties and in warping of the buckets. It will be understood that by proper reversal in the positions of the conduits supplying the feed chute ill and draining the discharge chute G8, the two end compartments lof the buckets vmaybe caused to carry only regenerated contact material while spent contact material is carried in the intermediate compartment. Both arrangements are intended as being within the scope of this invention.

Turing to Figure 10, there is shown a detailed View of a section of one elevator chain 93. and of the bucket attachment thereto.. It will be seen that the chain is a knuckle chain of the oiset type. Each link has near one end a knuckle in which is a bushing indicated by dotted lines at 12|. A chain pin |22 ts through the bushing |2I and through holes in the offset side bars of the next link. A keeper bar |23 may be employed to hold the chain pin in place. To each end ci the buckets is welded or bolted an attachment bar or bracket lis which is in turn bolted t0 one of the chains such as 93.

A modified form of buck-et construction is shown in Figures 1l and 12. In these figures a bucket E30 having an angular cross-sectional shape is shown. One side of the'bucket 13| is bolted by bolts |32 to the conveyor chain 93. The bucket side |3| projects a short distance beyond the line of intersection of the other side of the bucket so as to provide an overlap plate |33. Partitions i3d and |35 are provided within the bucket and vanes |33, |33', |38 and |39 along Ione side of the bucket similar to the partitions and vanes provided for the bucket construction shown in Figures v6 9, inclusive.

The opera-ting condi-tions to be employed in the method and apparatus of this invention may vary widely depending upon the particular process application involved and the structural material used for the apparatus must necessarily be chosen Awith reference to the operating conditons involved. As an example of typical operating conditions in a hydrocarbon `catalytic cracking conversion operation, the catalyst to oil ratio passed throng-h the conversion vessel may be :of the order of l to 1-0 parts 'by weight of catalyst per part of oil. The oil space Velocity may be of the order of 0.5 to 5.0A volumes of oil charge (measured as a liquid at F.) per volume of catalyst in the conversion zone. The catalyst temperature within the conversion zone may fall within the range about 800 F. to 1000 F. and in the regeneration zone between about 800 F. to 1200 F. The elevator bucket size should be so chosen in relation to the rate of bucket travel and the rate of contact material cyclic flow that the buckets are never overlled and are preferably only about 60 per cent to 90 per cent filled with contact material.

It will be understood that the particular details of apparatus construction and of operating conditions and` application of this invention given hereinabove are exemplary in nature and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention except as it may be limited by the following claims` I claim:

1. A method for conducting conversion of iiuid hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving particle form contact material which method comprises: passing particle form contact material at a ternperature suitable to support said fluid hydrocarbon conversion downwardly through a conversion zone as a substantially compact column, passing fluid hy rocarbons under suitable conversion conditions of temperature .and pressure into contact with said contact material in said conversion zone, withdrawing gaseous hydrocarbon products from said conversion Zone, withdrawing a stream of used contact material from said conversion zone, releasing the gaseous pressure on said stream and thereafter passing said contact niaterial into a confined conveying zone, conducting said used contact material upwardly within said conveying zone, passing said used contact material from said conveying zone to a separate confined contact material revivifying zone, contacting said contact material with a suitable revivifying gas in said revivifying zone while maintaining it within a suitable revivifyng temperature range, passng reviviiied contact material at a substantially higher temperature than said used contact material from the lower section of said revivifying zone into said conveying zone, con veying said reviviied contact material upwardly through said conveying zone along with and in heat conductive relationship with said used contact material while maintaining the used and reviviiied contact materials separated, separately passing said reviviiied contact material from said conveyingr zone to the uper section of said conersion zone and maintaining a blanket of an inert gas adjacent the upper section of said conversion Zone` 2. An apparatus for conversion of iluid hydrocarbone in the presence of a moving particle form contact material which apparatus comprises: a substantially vertical reaction vessel, means to introduce fluid reactant thereinto and means to withdraw gaseous conversion products therefrom, a separate regeneration vessel, means to introduce regeneration gas thereinto and means to withdraw gas therefrom, an elongated upright elevator casing having head section and foot section within said casing, an endless series of articulated buckets, means to support said buckets and to cause them to pass in a closed path, said path having a loop in said head section and in said foot section and said buckets being inverted as they move downwardly in their path and sub- Svnllf upright as they move upwardly, partitienine in said buckets dividing each bucket ist@ v2,531,1ea

a plurality of contact material conveying compartments, conduit means for withdrawal of contact material from the lower end of said conversion vessel, a depressuring chamber on said conduit means adapted to permit release of the gaseous pressure on said contact material, a gas Vent conduit connecting into the upper section of said depressuring chamber and communicating n its other end with a location of lower pressure than said depressuring chamber, passage dening means extending from said depressuring chamber to a location in said elevator casing near the lower end thereof, adapted to direct the flow of used contact material into certain of said plurality of compartments in said buckets, passage dening means adapted for passage of regenerated contact material from the lower end of said regeneration vessel into the remainder of said compartments in said buckets at a location near the lower end of said elevator casing, a discharge chute near the upper section of said casing but below said loop in said head section, said discharge chute being partitioned to provide a plurality of separate lanes adapted to catch the used and regenerated contact material discharge from said separate coinpartinents in said buckets in separate discharge lanes, passage dening means for ilow of used contact material from the lane in said discharge chute containing the same to said regeneration vessel, a feed hopper adapted to supply contact material to said conversion vessel, passage defining means for flow of regenerated contact material from the lane in said discharge chute con taining the same to said feed hopper and means to introduce an inert gas into the lower section of said elevator casing.

3. The method of operating a cyclic process for conversion of iluid hydrocarbons wherein moving particles of solid contact material are intimately contacted with a moving stream of fluid hydrocarbons in a confined conversion zone to eiect the conversion thereof to lower boiling gaseous hydrocarbons and wherein the used Contact material from said conversion zone is passed through a reviviiication zone to be contacted with a combustion supporting gas at controlled elevated tempertures in order to burn oi from said contact material contaminant deposited thereon by said hydrocarbon conversion which method comprises: moving an endless series of buckets continuously through a closed path within an elongated confined conveying zone causing said buckets to move upwardly along one side of said conveying zone and downwardly along the opposite side of said conveying zone and to loop near the upper and lower ends of said conveying zone, causing said buckets to open to the outside of said closed path of travel as they move upwardly in said path, withdrawing used contact material from said conversion zone and flowing it into said conveying zone near its lower end at a location adjacent one edge of and outside or" the closed path of bucket travel while directing the ow so that said used contact material passes into the outwardly opening upwardly moving buckets, passing reviviied contact material at a temperature substantially above that of said used contact material and above the minimum required to initiate combustion of said contaminant from said reviviiication zone into said conveying zone near its lower end at a location adjacent one edge of and outside of said closed path of travel while directing the flow so that said revivied contact material passes into a dleient section of said outwardly opening upwardly moving buckets than said used Contact material and at the same time maintaining the used contact material delivered to said buckets in indirect heat transfer relationship with but separate from the revivied contact material delivered simultaneously to the same buckets, and discharging said used and reviviled Contact material from said buckets near the upper end of said conveying zone at locations outside of closed path of travel and adjacent one edge thereof while directing the flow of said used and of said revivied contact material so that said used contact material passes separately to said revivication Zone and said revivied contact material passes separately to said conversion zone.

4. In a process for conversion of uid hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving particle form contact material wherein the moving particles of contact material are intimately contacted with a moving stream of fluid hydrocarbons in a conned conversion zone to eect the conversion thereof to lower boiling gaseous hydrocarbons at suitable conversion temperatures and the used contact material from the conversion zone is passed through a revivication Zone to be contacted with a combustion supporting gas at controlled elevated temperatures substantially above said conversion temperatures in order to burn oil from said contact material contaminant deposited thereon by said hydrocarbon conversion and wherein the contact material is conveyed between said conversion and revivification zone in a conned conveying zone by an endless series of buckets moved and supported through a closed path forming a loop near the upper end of said conveying zone and a second loop near the lower end thereof by endless chains attached to the two opposite ends of the buckets, said buckets being divided into three side by side compartments, one central compartment and one compartment on each end of the buckets being attached to a chain, the improvement comprising: withdrawing revivied contact material from said revivication zone and flowing it into the central compartments of said buckets near the lower end of said conveying zone, withdrawing the used contact material at a temperature substantially below that of said reviviied contact material from said conversion zone and Iiowing it into the two end compartments of each of said buckets where it is in indirect heat transfer relationship with said chains, conveying said used and revivifled contact material upwardly within said conveying zone, and causing said used and revivied contact material to discharge from said buckets at a location near the upper end of said conveying zone while baffling the flow thereof so that said used contact material passes separately to said revivication zone and said revivied contact material passes separately to said conversion zone.

5. The method of operating a cyclic process for conversion of fluid hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving particle form contact material which comprises passing said contact material through a conversion zone wherein it contacts fluid hydrocarbons under conversion conditions to eiect the conversion thereof and through a regeneration zone wherein it is contacted with a revivifying gas under elevated temperatures, withdrawing a stream of used contact material from the conversion zone, withdrawing a stream of revivifled contact material from said revivifying zone, continuously dividing and collecting said streams of lthe portions of used and revivi'fied contact lmate-V rial collected simultaneously together in fconductive heat transfer relationship with eachother through a confined conveying zone., all of the `successive :portions being successively conveyed-in like manner., continuously merging the succes- -sively conveyed portions of used contact :material into a'single streamnand passing said ,stream to the revivifying zone, and separately lcontinuously merging the successively conveyed portions of -revivied contact material into a single stream and .passing said last named stream to said conversion zone.

6. A method of conducting a cyclic operation at elevated temperatures for the conversion of hydrocarbons wherein moving solid contact material particles are intimately contacted with a moving stream of hydrocarbons to be converted in a conned conversion Zone resulting in a `de- ,posi-tion of carbonaceous contaminant on the contact material and wherein used `contact material from said reaction is -revivied by intimately contacting the spent particles with :a gaseous reviv-ifying agent to burn on the contaminant while both are mov-ing in a separate confined regeneration zone which comprises: passing revivifled contact .material from said revivify-ing zone into an elongated conned conveying zone near one end the-reci at an elevated temperature substantially above the minimum tempera-ture required for the contaminant burning, conducting said rev-iviiied contact material through said conveying Azone and conducting it from :a location near its opposite end to said conversion zone, passing used contact material at -a temperature substantially below that of said reviv-ied contact material from said conversion zone intosaid conveying zone near the'location of introduction of said revivied contact material, conducting said used contact material. through said conveying zone along with and in indirect heat transfer relationship with said revivii-led contact material while maintaining it separate therefrom so `as to effect its transfer without excessive drop in temperature, and conducting said used contact material from said conveying Azone to said revivifying zone.

'7. The method of operating a cyclic process for conversion of fluid hydrocarbons wherein moving particles of solid contact material are intimately contacted with a moving stream of fluid hydrocarbons in a confined conversion Zone to effect the conversion thereof to lower boiling glaseous hydrocarbons and wherein the used Contact material from said conversion zone is passed through a reviviflcation Zone to be contacted with a combustion supporting gas at controlled elevated temperatures in order to burn off from said contact material .contaminant deposited thereon by said hydrocarbon conversion which method comprises: moving an endless series of buckets continuously through a closed path within an elongated confined conveying zone with said path forming a loop near the upper end of said zone and a second loop near the lower end of .said conveying zone, causing said buckets to open loutwardly of their closed path of travel as they move upwardly, withdrawing used contact material from said conversion zone and flowing it into said conveying zone near its lower end while directing the flow so that said used contact mate rial passes into said buckets along only a portion of their lengths, passing revivified contact material existing at :a temperature substantially above that of `said used contact ,material from esaid reviviiication Yzone into said conveying zone nea-r its lower end while directing the now so that said -revivified contact material passes into only `the remaining :portion of the lengths of said buckets, maintaining the used and rev-ivined contact materia-l `separated but in indirect heat exchange relationship with each other in said buckets whereby the net heat loss from the used contact material during its transfer is restricted anddischarging said used vand revivied contact mate- -rial from said buckets near the upper end 'of said conveying zone Vwhile baffling the flow thereof so that said used ycontact material `passes separately to said revivincation zone and said revivified con- .tact material .passes separately to said conversion zone.

8. The method of operating a cyclic `.process for conversion of iluid hydrocarbons wherein ,moving particles of solid contact material are intimately contacted with a moving stream -of `fluid hydrocarbons in a confined `conversion zone yto effect the conversion thereof to lower boiling gaseous hydrocarbons and wherein the used contact material fromfsaid conversion Zone is passed through a revivication zone to be contacted with a combustion supporting gas at controlled elevated temperatures substantially above those in said conversion `Zone in order to burn off from said contact material contaminant deposited thereon by said hydrocarbon conversion which method comprises: moving an endless series Ao1? buckets continuously through a closed path within :an elongated confined conveying zone, causing the buckets to move upwardly in one half of the path lengthand `downwardly in the other half of the path length, supporting said buckets on two opposite ends thereof so that the buckets moving upwardly are open to receive solids from the outside of their pat-h of travel, withdrawing a stream yof used contact material from said conversion zone, continuously dividing said stream into .two secondary streams and 'directing said secondary streams into opposite end .portions of the upwardly .moving buckets within the lower section of said conveying zone, withdrawing a stream of revivifed contact material from said revivication zone at a temperature substantially above that of said used contact material and directing the stream of revivied contact material into a central .portion of said buckets intermediate said lend portions, maintaining the revivii'led contact material in the central portions of said buckets separated from used contact material in the end portion of said 'buckets while conveying the contact material upwardly said buckets, `and discharging said used and revivied contact material from said buckets near the upper end of said conveying zone at a location outside'of said closed `path of travel while `directing the flow thereof so that said Aused contact material passes separately to said revivincation zone and said revivied conta-ct material passes separately to said conversion zone.; and at the same time maintaining .an inert gaseous seal between said conned conveying Zone and said conversion Zone so as to substantially prevent the liow of gaseous hydrocarbons from said conversion Zone into either end of said conveying zone.

.9. In a :system for conversion of hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving contact material the apparatus comprising, two separate contacting chambers one being an upright reaction chamber having a contact material inlet rat its upper end and a contact material outlet at 'its lower end and the other being an upright regeneration vessel having a contact material inlet at its upper end and a contact material outlet at its lower end, a separate upwardly extending elevator casing, a head shaft having thereon a pair of spaced drive wheels passing across its upper section, spaced endless chains trained over said wheels to form a loop in the upper section of said casing and a second loop in the lower section of said casing, a series of buckets arranged between and attached on their opposite ends to said chains, so as to be in conductive heat transfer relationship at their ends with said chains, said buckets opening toward the outside of their path of travel and being inverted during that portion of the path of travel wherein kthey move downwardly, upright partitions in each bucket dividing it into at least three separate, side by side contact material carrying compartments, one compartment being at each end of said bucket adjacent its connection to a chain and any remaining compartments lying between the two end compartments, a contact material feed chute connecting into the lower section of said elevator casing on that side nearest adjacent the upwardly moving buckets, said chute being arranged to deliver contact material into said buckets, upright partitioning within said feed chute dividing it into as many separate feed lanes as there are compartments in each bucket, said lanes corresponding to the compartments in said buckets so that each lane delivers material to a different one of Said bucket compartments, duct means extending downwardly from one of said contacting chambers and connecting into only the two lanes delivering into the end compartments of said buckets, duct means extending downwardly from the second of said contacting chambers and connecting into only the remaining lanes which deliver into the compartments lying between the end compartments in said buckets, a discharge chute connected into said elevator casing near its upper end on the opposite side from said feed chute, said discharge chute being arranged to receive contact material discharged from said buckets, upright spaced partitioning in said discharge chute dividing it into as many discharge lanes as there are compartments in each bucket, said lanes corresponding to the compartments in said buckets so that each lane receives contact material from only one of said compartments in each bucket, members dening a passageway for contact material flow from only the two discharge lanes corresponding to the end compartments of said buckets to the second of said contacting chambers, members defining a passageway for contact material flow from only the remaining discharge lanes to the rst of said contacting chambers.

10. The method of operating a cyclic process for conversion of hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving contact material which comprises,`

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and regenerated contact material collected simultaneously together in conductive heat transfer relationship with each other through a confined conveying zone, all of the successive portions being successively conveyed in like manner, continuously merging the successively conveyed portions of used contact material into a single stream and passing said stream to the regeneration zone, and separately continuously merging th-e successively conveyed portions of regenerated contact material into a single stream and passing said last named stream to said conversion zone.

11. In a system for conversion of fluid hydrocarbons in the presence of a moving contact material the apparatus which comprises in combination: an upright conversion chamber, a separate upright regeneration chamber, an upwardly extending elevator casing having a head portion and a foot portion, an endless series of articulated buckets in said casing, drive chains attached to opposite ends of said buckets to support the buckets and to move them in a closed path forming a loop in both the head and foot portions of said elevator casing, in which path the buckets open upwardly when moving upwardly and are inverted when moving downwardly, partitioning within said buckets to divide each bucket into at least three separate, side by side, contact material carrying compartments, one compartment being at each end of said bucket adjacent its connection to a chain and the remainder of the compartments lying between the two end compartments, members defining feed passageways connecting into the lower section of said casing and arranged to direct contact material flow into said two end compartments `of said buckets, conduit means extending downwardly from the lower section of said conversion chamber communicating said chamber only with said feed passageways, members defining a separate feed passageway connecting into the lower section of said casing and arranged to direct contact material flow into only the remaining compartments lying between said end compartments of said buckets, conduit means extending downwardly from the lower section of said regeneration chamber communicating the regeneration chamber with only said last named feed passageway, members defining discharge passageways connecting into the upper section of said elevator casing and arranged to receive contact material discharged from substantially only the two end compartments of said buckets, members dening a passageway for contact material flow connecting only said discharge passageways to the upper section of said regeneration chamber, members delining a separate discharge passageway connecting into the upper section of the elevator casing and arranged to receive contact material discharged from substantially only the remaining compartments lying between said end compartments in said buckets, and members defining a passageway for contact material flow from only said last named discharge passageway to the upper section of said conversion chamber.

l2. In a method for transfer of particle-form contact material from two streams of similar material, one stream existing at an elevated temperature substantially above atmospheric temperature and the other stream existing at a temperature also substantially above atmospheric temperature but substantially below that of the rst stream wherein the contact material is l? transferred from one level to a higher level in a conned conveying zone by an endless series of buckets moved and supported through a closed path forming a loop near the upper end of said conveying zone and a second loop near the lower end thereof by endless chains attached to the two opposite ends of the buckets, each of said buckets being divided into three side by side compartments, one central compartment and end compartments on either side thereof adjacent the two ends of each bucket which are attached to the chains, the improvement comprising: owing the higher temperature particle-form contact material from said higher temperature stream into the central compartments of said buckets near the lower end of said conveying zione, flowing the lower temperature particle-form Contact material from said substantially lower temperature stream into the two end compartments of said buckets where it is in indirect heat transfer relationship with said chains, conveying said higher and lower temperature contact material upwardly within said conveying zone, and causing the contact material to discharge from said .buckets at a location near the upper end of said conveying zone while baffling the fiow thereof so that said higher temperature and lower temperature contact material pass separately from said conveying zone.

ERIC V. BERGSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 233,523 Lally Oct. 19, 1880 2,273,339 Thomas Feb. 17, 1942 2,290,580 Degnen July 2l, 1942 2,394,638 Schrader Feb. 12, 1946 2,406,640 Siecke Aug. 27, 1946 2,410,309 Simpson et al Oct. 29, 1946 

